One of the greatest problems in stock Android since the debut of Lollipop last year has been the volume slider - putting aside Lollipop's initially confusing volume modes, the slider unceremoniously pops into place when the user hits the volume keys on their device. Of course I'm kidding, but nevertheless it looks like Google has enhanced the volume controls in the latest Marshmallow dev preview with some motion design love.

Now, when users hit a volume key, the panel slides into place from off canvas. The slider's current position is highlighted with its own translucent halo (which may or may not really be necessary). And perhaps best of all, the "expand" icon actually has a fully realized transition from up to down. The two ends of the shape slide out and then come back together in the opposite configuration. This is a small touch, but it seems that between this, the app drawer, and other tweaks like the way popup menus animate out, a major theme of Android's M release is finishing up what L started.

Seriously. That was one of the worst UX I've seen on Android. When it takes 10 minutes to explain how to set up your phone to allow silent mode, you've failed as a designer.

AbbyZFresh

Samsung had this volume differentiation feature for years now. Late Google.

Nicholas Conrad

The channel mix isn't what they're talking about, just the animations on opening the menu, etc...

David Onter

b8

rheerani

Known troll.

Android Developer

You could add it via third party apps if you wish.

Everyone Ever

I hate you.

Nicholas Conrad

Funny, I'm on 6 and I don't see that... Oh right:
windows animation = off
transition animation = off
animator duration = off
If it's not smooth without transition frames, it's just laggy (looking at you, iphone).

William W

If there are no transition frames, what do you expect to be smooth?

Nicholas Conrad

I'm sorry, I meant 'snappy', you're right, smooth without transition frames is somewhat of an oxymoron...

They should make the Android dude look like he's made of marshmallow in Halo Spartan armor.
Android M: Android L2. Android's last hope. Finish the fight.

Stanley C.

Why dont google inject xposed and buy gravitybox at all?

Its time for a new google era it will be better for everyone...

kopfdv

Why would Google need xposed ? Instead they can integrate the features in the ROM directly.

Android Developer

xposed is the framework, to install plugins. I don't think Google would put all plugins in the rom.

Fatal1ty_93_RUS

Actually that would be quite neat - if you could install 3rd party plugins for Android, like how you can do so in Chrome (especially since they have Play Store - developers could publish the plugins/addons there, and some already do so), and extend the OS functionality. No root needed, no Xposed needed, only you, your device, and the plugins

Android Developer

For power users, yes, absolutely , but for most users, maybe it's too much.

Fatal1ty_93_RUS

Never hurts to add features to cater to the power user audience too. After all, if that would be confusing for general consumers - Google could always hide the plugin support behind a Developer menu checkbox

Android Developer

They don't accept most of the suggestions, so I would bet 99% that they won't agree to put it.

Now if only they'd bring back separate ring and notification volumes...

Sarath Chandra Gullapalli

Don't we have major technical/functional changes/improvements in M to boast about with fellow non-M / opponent iOS users ?? :(

mark

There have already been loads of articles on decent new M improvements. Maybe today is a slow news day or something.

Luca Comellini

Is it supposed not to hide automatically or is a bug? It's really annoying

Android Developer

I still prefer that it just expands right when I click the volume buttons. Most of the times I would need to use the expand button anyway.

Victor Stuber

It's kind of an advanced feature that most users would be thrown off by when just trying to turn their ringer volume down.

Mayoo

I still can't understand how a whole team can fuck up a volume control like they did in L

Sunny

Is it stable for a daily driver now? I'd like to install this baby on my N5

ToasTd

Bugs me so much when someone shows some 'fluid' new animation in gif form, yet uploads a slowed down gif at a bad framerate.

Karan Shah

AP can you please, please, please for the love of all that is holy, use gifv's or webm's???

Andy Williams

A sliding bar thing. Why is this newsworthy?

Ender

I really like this, ever since Lollipop came out I had to go to settings to change all volume sliders exactly how I like them, because I guess I'm OCD like that. Not much of a hassle, just relatively inconvenient. I like Media being at 4, alarm being at max, and notifications being a 2. When at school, I turn all of the all the way down to 0, then enable priority mode for 8 hours.